Comedy Studies PhD

About the course

Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. A research degree provides the opportunity to investigate a topic in depth, and contribute new knowledge to your discipline. Find out more about Research Degrees at Brunel.

PhD students come to Brunel from diverse cultural backgrounds and belong to a genuinely international Division of Social Sciences and Communication . (The Times Higher Educational Supplement recently described Brunel as “the most international university”.) We are the highest rated research department of our size in the country, bringing together experts who understand social and political forces with specialists in communications in a vibrant and friendly environment. Sociology at Brunel is ranked 1st in London (The Guardian University Guide, 2018)

Research areas

PhD students will join the Division of Social Sciences and Communication which is home of the internationally recognised Centre for Comedy Studies Research supported by high-profile comedians including Jo Brand and Lee Mack.

As an interdisciplinary centre it considers the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in a variety of formats and from a range of perspectives. The Centre successfully brings together leading academics and writers in the fields of media and communications, sociology, psychology, theatre, drama, film and television, computing, English, creative writing and social work.

Our research examines the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in its variety of formats from television sketch shows to comedy thrillers. All of our research and teaching is strongly underpinned by the belief that comedy is socially, culturally, politically and economically significant at local, national and international levels. Our work clusters around a number of overlapping themes that include:

Mediated and Live Comedy
Comedy and Identity
Comedy, Taboo and Offence
Comedy, Power and Ideology
Comic Novels

Employability
Careers and your future

Paid work available to research students
Undertaking teaching and learning support duties represents an important professional and career development opportunity for postgraduate research students. Brunel offers two levels of paid work available to Postgraduate Research students. The first level post is as a Demonstrator and the second level post is as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA). Teaching and learning support duties will vary between Departments and research students should not rely on such opportunities being available.